Gilberto Manzano#55 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 23, 2026
Manzano re-ranks all 32 NFL backup quarterbacks for 2026, placing Mac Jones first, Joe Flacco second and Drew Lock third, with Tampa Bay's Jalon Daniels last. They also suggest Joe Milton III could be poached off Dallas's practice squad and that the Raiders may eventually turn to rookie Fernando Mendoza over Kirk Cousins.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Gilberto Manzano said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromSo, with all the changes, let's re-rank the NFL's 32 backup QBs of 2026.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Re-Ranking the NFL’s 32 Backup Quarterbacks of 2026
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart“It wouldn't be a surprise if Las Vegas eventually turns to Mendoza because Kirk Cousins tends to be a rollercoaster over the course of a season.”
- 2Top Player Lists“So, with all the changes, let's re-rank the NFL's 32 backup QBs of 2026. 32. Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... 1. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers”
- 3Joe Milton III to move — “another team rolls the dice on him and plucks him from the Cowboys”“With all the injuries at quarterback, maybe another team rolls the dice on him and plucks him from the Cowboys.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “So, with all the changes, let's re-rank the NFL's 32 backup QBs…”2 | Top Player Lists | — | — | — | — | |
| Joe Milton III to move — “another team rolls the dice on him and plucks him from the Cowboys”3 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
3 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call, 1 top player list and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season84 calls from 54 pundits between 1 and 3. Gilberto Manzano said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
1Depth Chart CallsFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“So, with all the changes, let's re-rank the NFL's 32 backup QBs of 2026. 32. Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... 1. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Trade and Signing CallsJoe Milton III
Joe Milton III to move — “another team rolls the dice on him and plucks him from the Cowboys”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Broussard · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Broussard picked the Ravens to beat the Bills in a shootout, 38-34, took the Raiders to upset the Jets, and said Detroit would beat the Vikings.John Breech · Score Predictions · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 95
Breech's Week 8 score predictions include Bengals over Titans, Raiders over Jets, Rams over Chargers and Patriots over Dolphins.Tyler Sullivan · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Sullivan's Week 8 upset alert column flags five favorites they expect to lose: they pick the Falcons over the Buccaneers, the Raiders over the Jets, the undefeated Vikings over the Lions, the Ravens (with Lamar Jackson returning) over the Bills, and the Browns over the Steelers.Ezekiel Trezevant · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Trezevant argues that if the Raiders are as improved as they appeared at 3-0, they should beat the Jets in Week 8 on the road and end their four-game losing streak.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.